Story+2000-06-26+New+York+City,+NY

´´(sings ´Take Me to the River’) That´s right....that´s where I wanna go....that´s where I wanna go tonight ...I wanna go to the riverside....I wanna find that river tonight, that river of life....and that river of love....I wanna find that river of faith .... and of oneness.....and that river of hope....I wanna find that river of transformation .....where you can go and you can change yourself...if you want to....and I wanna find that river of resurrection where everybody gets a second chance.....I wanna find that river of understanding....and I wanna find that river of sexual healing....and companionship....I wanna find that river of joy....and that river of happiness (?) ....but you just don´t stumble on that river, you don´t find it stumbling around in the night....you don´t come upon it by accident if enough time goes by ....you´ve got to search for that river....you´ve got to seek it out and you´ve got to work to get there and you´ve got to believe that it exists....well, that´s where I wanna go tonight and I want you to go with me.....because I need to go with you ....that´s why we´re here and because I can’t get there by myself....you can´t get there by yourself no matter how hard you try....that´s why tonight I wanna throw, I wanna throw a rock and roll baptism....a rock and roll exorcism.....a rock and roll bar mitzvah....I wanna do it all tonight....and I wanna find those waters and set myself free (?)....but one evening, one evening I stood as a young man before a dark grove of trees and I was frightened to pass through those trees just like a little child is frightened....I couldn´t pass through those trees even though, even though I knew that on the other side the river of life was waiting....the river of a meaningful life, there were no fucking cellphones and pizza for everybody !....still I stood there paralyzed....then a gypsy woman called me forward and she said ´What you need to get there, Son, is you need some help....what´s your line ?´, I told her my line, she said ´What you need is a band....oh, but not just any band´....that´s why I´m proud to introduce tonight on the piano, Secretary of intelligence, Professor Roy Bittan.....(?).....I wanna introduce the Minister of faith and friendship, keeper of all that is righteous on E Street and star of the ´Sopranos´-television show....Little Steven Van Zandt on the guitar....with me, Brother, at the riverside....the foundation of the E Street nation, Southern man, Mr.Garry W.Tallent....I wanna introduce the Minister of the mighty beat, the man that brings the power night after night, star of Late Night Television, the Mighty, Mighty, Mighty, Mighty Max Weinberg.....the Secretary of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren.....on the organ and accordion, the Minister of mystery, Brother Dan Federici....from Flemington, New Jersey ... (?) ....and now last but not least (?)(sings a bit of ´My Girl´) the First Lady of love, on guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa....and my own personal savior.... and now last but not least .... the mightiest man in all the damn land, Minister of soul, the Secretary of brotherhood....do I have to say his name ?....do I have to say his name ? ....say who ?...say who ?....say who ? .... say who ? ....say who ?.... say who ? ....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ? .....”
 * 26.06.00 New York City, NY, middle of ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´**

´´(?) the song we started tonight with is a song called ´Another Thin Line´ that was written by myself and Joe Grushecky (?) and I want to, uh....pay attention to some folks that are with us in the hall tonight, we´ve got some folks from the Community Food Resource Center.... and they´ll be out there in the lobby tonight on your way out so....the Community Food Resource Center is dedicated to helping struggling New Yorkers....(?) maintaining access to nutritious food....(?) support decent housing, they were founded in 1980 to fight hunger in New York City....they´ve grown into one of the city´s leading advocates (?) government policies and practises and to defend poor and struggling New Yorkers, the Community Food Resource Center, please check them out in the lobby tonight, they deserve your time and your support....(?)....”
 * 26.06.00 New York City, NY, intro to ´Born in the U.S.A´**

´´New York City !....New York City !...but everywhere I´ve gone, I´ve seen people lost in confusion....I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness of the concrete jungle .... I´ve seen people lost in loneliness in search of John Ryker on the subway....I´ve seen people lost in envy over the Jersey Devils winning the Stanley Cup....I´ve seen people lost....at the Statue of Liberty which actually is in New Jersey....I´ve seen people lost in the New York Giants memorabilia, who actually play in New Jersey ....wo !....ought to call ´em the Jersey Giants, baby....I´ve seen people lost singing the theme song ´New York, New York´ which, which happened to be sung by a man from New Jersey....lost in bitterness....but that´s alright ´cause tonight I´m here on an ambassadorial mission, I´ve come from across the river, if you´ve been downhearted, disspirited, disgusted, dispossessed, downsized, stigmatized, analyzed, retropsychedelized, I´m here tonight....I´m here tonight....I´m here tonight ....I´m here tonight....I´m here tonight.....I´m here tonight....I´m here tonight....I´m here tonight....I´m here tonight to re-educate you, to resuscitate you, to regenerate you, to reconfiscate you, to recombobulate you, to reindoctrinate you, to re, resexualate you....to reliberate you with the power and the glory, with the power and the promise, with the majesty, with the mystery.... with the ministry of rock and roll....with the ministry of rock and roll !....but unlike my competitors, I shall not, I will not, I cannot promise you life everlasting....but I can promise you life.....right now !....and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say ´I´....”‘
 * 26.06.00 New York City, NY, middle of ´Light of Day **

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//